Activities of Daily Living

Activities of daily living (ADL) is designed to benefit any patient suffering from an orthopedic, neurological or sensory deficit. ADL encompasses all tasks that are both necessary and meaningful to a patient. Self-care skills, including bathing, dressing, oral hygiene, hair care, feeding skills and play skills for children, are considered basic ADL. Writing, driving, home-care tasks, child care, finance management and work or school-related activities are considered advanced ADL. Leisure activities, such as sports, hobbies and musical talents, are examples of meaningful tasks that would be simulated or practiced to return the patient to a functional level of physical and emotional involvement. The purpose of therapeutic intervention for retraining activities of daily living is two-fold. One, the goals of therapy with temporary or transient conditions focus on remediation of the identified deficits to allow a patient to return to the maximal level of independence in all ADL. Two, the goals of therapy with permanent or chronic conditions may include instruction in compensatory techniques to allow the patient to safely accomplish a task, retraining by habituation to reinforce a new method of completing activities or training with adaptive equipment to safely accomplish ADL within the patient's limited capacities.

Service Overview

Occupational Therapists provide a comprehensive one-on-one evaluation of each patient's functional activity limitations and design a treatment program to address these limitations.

ADL training can be incorporated within any therapeutic experience. It is often provided in conjunction with Physical Therapy services to build functional skills as the patient's balance, mobility, and core and extremity strength are improving. The Occupational and Physical Therapists work together to provide a comprehensive approach to maximize the patient's functional abilities and promote greater independence in the skills required for enjoying life. ADL training services may also include instruction for caregivers to help them learn how to correctly care for the needs of the patient, and how to help and assist the patient in caring for themselves.

Specialized Programs

Arthritic Hand Program - Troy

Worksite Evaluations/Ergonomics

WorkAbilitySM program - Royal Oak

Back on Track - to prepare patients for spinal surgery - Troy

Joint Adventure - pre-surgical program for TKA/THA - Troy

HOPE - pre-surgical program for TKA/THA - Royal Oak

Skills and Licensure of Clinicians

Registered Occupational Therapists are on staff to meet patients' needs.

Conditions Treated

Common diagnoses treated with ADL training include:

Arthritis

Generalized body weakness/debilitation

Shoulder/spinal dysfunction

Joint replacement

Acute multiple trauma/fracture

Traumatic brain injury

CVA (stroke)

Insurance

We accept coverage from most major insurance companies. Discount programs are available for those who qualify.